As the water rushed in
by Regaliansoldier98
Summary: Ripred was always fond of Lizzie, and it's no secret that the reason has to do with his dead pup silksharp. But what truly happened in the garden, all those years ago? One-shot, complete. Rated K because of character death


As the Water Rushed In

**Hey everybody, Regaliansoldier98 here. I am at a point where I cannot come up with anything for ancient city, so that will not be updated for a while. Right now, I can really just write short stories, and I will have more than just underland. Also, I will be working on tUC book 5.5, Gregor and the Old Dominion, which will be just a few chapters about him in the overland. Anyways, enough about this, let's get to the story.**

The rat sat back on his haunches, a worried look on his face. The young pup was curled up on the floor of the cave, shaking and gasping. "It's alright, Silksharp," Ripred said. "Just calm down." She did not stop, though. Ripred sighed, but his face brightened when Stonefur, his mate, came into the cave. "Stonefur, she's having one of her panic attacks again," he told her. Stonefur shook her head. "I'll take care of it," she said to him, "but you're needed in the garden. The humans are retaliating against Gorger, and striking at our homes. The rest need your help." Before she even finished, he bounded out.

Sure enough, gnawers lay dead about as Ripred emerged, and soaring above them were humans atop fliers. Their blades flew, slashing down rat after rat, and most were helpless. Adults and pups alike fell beneath the wall of swords, many having never even met Gorger, but living in the Garden their whole lives, yet it did not matter, because when Ripred saw who was leading the charge, he knew that the one who commanded him had no mercy. Solovet, the general of Regalia, had sent her prized son. Hamnet was here to slaughter.

Those rats there that could fight did so, and many fliers found claws in their necks, dragging them, and their bonds, to the rocky floor. The humans had believed they would win, but the price was too high. They turned back, and flew from the garden. The wiser of the gnawers knew it was not over.

_**Hamnet's POV**_

Their forces had lost. Too many were killed in the initial attack, and now there was no choice but to cut their losses and move to plan B. He looked around for a moment, and he saw the dike. Solovet had ordered him to flush them out, and that's what they would do.

Flying towards the dike, he drew his sword which he had sheathed when he pulled away. "Bring me in close!" he shouted, and his flier obliged. Once they were close enough, he leapt from his bond's back and stabbed into the stone, and his sword slashed through. He had only meant to make a small hole, enough to flush out the gnawers, but the pressure built up behind it was too much, and he was thrown backwards, down toward the ground.

_**Ripred's POV**_

He watched helplessly, as the water began to rush through the trees, knocking them over. Remembering his mate and pup, he ran towards their cave, and found them there, Silksharp having gotten over her panic attack. "Come on!" he shouted. "We have to get out!" Stonefur picked up her pup, and they ran towards the mouth of the cave. They never made it, though. Water rushed in, throwing them all backwards. Ripred swam out, expecting his mate to do the same. But when he got out, he saw they weren't there. Swimming back in, he saw them, sprawled out, without life. _I can't go on._ He thought. _I don't deserve to go on. _He would have let himself drown, but a pair of hands pulled him out. He looked up and saw Hamnet. His first thought was to tear the man limb from limb for what he did, but he saw the grief in the prince's eyes, and realized he had been punished enough.

_**Years later, during the War of Time**_

As he sat near the Lizzie, the girl who reminded him so much of his long dead pup, the rat thought back, all those years ago, to a place where he once had love, a place that he once had family. A place where the apples would never again grow.

**Thanks for reading everybody! Questions? Comments? Review! **

**Run like the river!**

**-Regaliansoldier98 **


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